Here’s what John Howard says about his artwork:
This haunting childhood memory is a view from the kitchen of our home that was attached to the family business. I wanted to create the tension of contrasting dynamic diagonal forms, to present an environment where anything can happen. I started with delineated gestural contours using 2B, 4B and 6B woodless graphite pencils, 1/2″ x 3″ (12mm x 76mm) graphite blocks, and pure graphite powder applied by finger or a wide watercolor brush. Then, using many crosshatching techniques with graphite pencils and blocks, along with a kneaded eraser, I focused on the forms created by the common light source to render the veiled face, the gnarly hands, the contrasting textures, and the perspective of the cast shadows. Finally, I sealed it with a fixative, then glazed with acrylics suspended in matte medium to augment the desired emotional response.